Automatic idle course mechanism for straight knitting machines



Oct. 4, 1938. M. ZWICKY ET AL 2,132,200

AUTOMATIC IDLE COURSE MECHANISM FUR STRAIGHT. KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 30, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR: ifeiahzbrZmbfiy &.

- Oct. 4, 1938. M. ZWICKY ET AL 2,132,200

AUTOMATIC IDLE COURSE MECHANISM FOR STRAIGHT KNITTINGMACHINES Filed March 30, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fizz--5- IN VEN TOR.

mw orzwzggv By J Oct. 4, 1938. M. ZWICKY ET AL AUTOMATIC IDLE COURSE MECHANISM FOR STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES Filed March so, 1955 4 sheets-sheet s IN VEN TOR:

'ATTORN Oct. 4', v ZHVVICKY EIT AL AUTOMATIC IDLE COURSE MECHANISM FOR STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES Fild March 30, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 F I. E- -7.

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' 1 INVENTOR:

- J7 MeZckwrZwidyv Patented Oct. 4, 1938 AUTOMATIC IDLE COURSE MECHANISM FOR STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES Melchior Zwicky, Berkshire Heights, and Rudolph Anke, Ridge Park, Reading, Pa., assignors to Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 30, 1935, Serial No. 13,818

15 Claims.

Our invention relates to idle-course mechanisms for knitting machines, and particularly to means for preventing adverse eflects, heretofore resulting from the running of idle courses.

During the production of hosiery, particularly on a full-fashioned knitting machine, it is necessary to periodically insert idle courses, which may be defined as the operations of the machine through a complete cycle, without adding loops to the fabric, and without pressing the loops of the next previously-knitted course from the needles. The introduction of idle courses is necessary, as during the return of yarn carriers to original positions, after knitting an odd number of courses, or when the slurcocks are to be moved to the opposite side of the knitting section, without adding a course of loops to the fabric.

An example, of an operation where idle courses are effected, is when the ravelling course carrier is moved from an inoperative position outside the selvedge edge of the fabric to a position along the edge of the ravelling course area. Two idle courses are necessary to effect this movement, one for couliering the ravelling course carrier from the right to the left side of the knitting field, and the other to return the couliering mechanism to the right side, as the other carriers remain idle at the right side of the knitting field.

Operating a full-fashioned knitting machine in a usual manner, without feeding yarn thereto, for moving the slur cock boxes, etc., from one side of a knitting section to another, results in a pressoff, and a break in the connectionbetween the needles and the fabric.

A well-known mechanism, employed to effect idle courses, is shown and described in the assignees Full-Fashioned Knitting Machine Catalogue, copyright 1929. This mechanism provides means to prevent closing the needle beards, by the presser edge, during the downward travel of the needles, and thus, although yarn may or may not be fed to the needles, no press-oft occurs,

since the loops of the next previous course, in-

d stead of being cast from the needles, are again caught beneath the needle beards.

When certain yarn carriers are moved across the knitting field, without adding loops to the fabric, the above-mentioned prior art idle course mechanism, although precluding fabric pressoifs, permits loops to be formed about the needles, and to become sufficiently entangled therewith to create an undesirable condition, which must be corrected before the machine may be further u erated for knitting.

I The upward and downward movements of the needles, while the loops carried thereby are held between the knockover bits and the sinkers, tend to lengthen, and toproduce undesirable wear on the loops, thus having an undesirable effect on 5 the finished product.

It is among the objects of our invention to avoid the above-mentioned objectionable features incident to the operation of idle courses, whereby the delay, expense and annoyance accompanying the disentangling of yarns from the needles, the trouble and loss resulting from press-offs, the adverse effects on the product, and other undesirable features are incurred, and to provide a device for effecting such results, that shall be simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture and effective in its operation.

Another object is to control the needles of a flat knitting machine in a manner novel in relation to means for controlling or actuating them, 20 as by holding the needles inactive during selected revolutions of the cam shaft, preferably in the lowest cyclic position thereof, during predetermined revolutions of the cam shaft, and providing automatic means for selectively effecting idle courses, during the fabrication of full fashioned hosiery.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device, of the above-indicated character, with an auxiliary control unit, which, as in the prior art, is controlled by a main pattern device, but, which, unlike such art, does not require a constantly operating power-transmitting means, or linkage, between the cam shaft and the unit, which is periodically rendered effective. Con- 3 trary to such operation which causes undue vibration, wear and expense, the corresponding feature herein operates only when necessary, and simplifies the structure and operation to a ma- 'terial degree. 40

A still further object is, in combination with means for preventing the feeding of yarn to the needles during the travel of a carrier through an idle course to provide an auxiliary pattern unit that shall be more flexible in adjustment to different patterns.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment of the invention, shown in the accompanying drawings, our invention resides in the novel mechanism and means for operating the same, as hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of a fullfashioned knitting machine embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of one form of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of certain of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a detail view of certain of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5; and

Fig.7 is a diagram of the leg blank of a full fashioned stocking, together with pattern chains for cooperation with the forms of the invention represented by Figs. 3 and 5, respectively, indi cating the positions along the blank at which the steps occur in the sequence of operation of the idle course mechanism.

The figures illustrate parts of a: Reading full fashioned knitting machine embodying the invention. For clearness, only those parts of the machine necessary to an understanding of the invention are illustrated; the other parts, and the operation thereof being well known in the art, as

shown and described in the Reading Full Fashioned Knitting Machine Catalogue, copyright 1929, and published by the Textile Machine Works, Reading, Pennsylvania.

Referring to the drawings, in a usual full fashioned knitting machine, upright frame members l2 are held in spaced relation to each other by transverse members including a front rail H, a back rail iii, a front bed l1, and a center bed [8. This structure supports the various other elements, or operating mechanism proper, com- Dieting a full fashioned knitting machine.

A cam shaft l9, rotatably and axially movable relative to its supporting bearings, which are carried by the frames l 2, carries a series of cam discs secured thereto, which separately cooperate with the various mechanisms to impart cyclic movements thereto. Axial shifting of the cam shaft l9, for positioning the cams to actuate the machine through either the narrowing or regular knitting cycles, is effected, in a usual manner, by a main pattern device or chain mechanism C, which cooperates with shiftable cams 22, carried by the main cam shaft [9, in an order determined by the positions of buttons carried by a pattern chain 23, see Fig. 1.

A plurality of friction boxes 24, only one of which is shown, see Fig. 3, are held in yielding engagement with a friction rod 26, and are connected by slides 21, having handles 28, to a selected rod of a plurality of carrier rods 29, by being placed between dogs on these rods.

'During the knitting operation, the yarn is fed, by yarn carriers 3| on the rods 29, to sinkers 32 and, dividers 33, for movement thereby between needles 34, which are held in a needle bar 36 byjclamps 31. The initial forward movement of the sinkers is effected by reciprocating slur cock boxes 38, and intermediate jacks 39, Retraction of the sinkers, and all movement of the dividers, are effected by a catch bar 42, which receives its movement from a cam 43, Fig. 5, through an intermediate linkage comprising a cam follower 44, a back catch lever 46, a back catch shaft 41', awvertical shifting lever 49, and a horizontal lever 49.

" The upward and downward movements of the needles are effected by a shaft 52, which is oscillated by a cam 63 through a lever 54, as shown in Fig. 3, or a lever 54a, as shown in Fig. 5, and 9.

cam follower 56, which is held in engagement with the cam 53, by a spring 51. The shaft 52 operates the needles 34 through a lifting arm 56 carrying a pin 59, on which the needle bar 36 is pivotally mounted. During downward travel of the needles, they are moved into engagement with the presser edge of a sinkerhead S to close the beards of the needles, and to hook the newly couliered loops beneath the beards, while the loops of the next previous course slide over the beards, and are given off to the fabric. The forward and rearward travel of the needles is effected by a presser cam cooperating with a roller 62 rotatably carried by a presser lever 63, which is supported by a shaft 64, and connected to the needle bar througha lever 66 and a fork 61.

Narrowing movements, distinctive from the ordinary knitting movements of the needles, are imparted thereto by cams which are positioned by shifting of the cam shaft to the right, whereupon a cam 68, instead of the regular knitting cam 53, coacts with the roller 56. The other mechanisms are similarly operated; a follower 69, rotatably mounted on a narrowing lever 12, and moving as determined by the contour of its narrowing cams, operating a narrowing mechanism N.

The usual idle-course mechanism comprises means, cooperating with the cam follower 62, for shifting the follower into alignment with a special cam, the contour of which prevents contact 7 of the needles with the presser edge, during downward travel of the needles, to retain the loops of the next previous course beneath the beards, instead of casting these loops off to the fabric, as is done during the usual knitting process.

The extra wear on the yarn, during the running of an idle course, caused by the retention of the loops between the sinkers and knockover bits for a second needle-operating cycle, instead of the single-needle-operating cycle, effected during the knitting of a course, plus the entangling of the yarn with the needles, renders the abovementioned prior art idle-course mechanism less desirable, so far as its use in high-speed production, and in automatic machines is concerned.

In accordance with the invention, the needles are held inactive below the sinkers, during an otherwise complete cycle of the knitting machine, thereby eliminating the wear ordinarily caused by the movement of the needles relative to the loops thereon, and preventing entanglement of the yarn with the needles. e

In the form of the invention, of Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, a cam 13 is provided in theseries of needle cams, the circular contour of which is such that, when engaged by an auxiliary roller 14 mounted on an extension of the usual cam follower axle 16, the needle lever will be maintained inoperative, in substantially the same position as that effected by the above-described mechanism.

The operation of this mechanism is controlled by an auxiliary control unit E, including a chain 11 carried by, and moving with, an auxiliary shaft 18. The shaft 18 is intermittently rotated by means, associated with the cam 19, including a cam follower 82 rotatably mounted on a bell crank 83, the movements of which are. imparted to a pawl 84 through a carrying member 61 therefor, loosely mounted on the control shaft, and connected to the crank 83 by a link 65. The pawl 84 cooperates with a ratchet wheel 96 fixed to the shaft I3, which is prevented from reverse rotation by a toothed lever 9| also cooperating with the ratchet wheel 99.

The bell crank 83 is normally held in inoperative or inactive position, relative to its operating cam, by engagement of a rest lever 86 with the free end of the crank 83. When a button 88,- on a chain 89, of the main pattern device,

actuates a lever 9| and in turn a lever 92, Fig. 2,

moves the button 88 out of engagement with the lever 9|, whereupon a spring 99, maintained imder tension between the fixed bracket 94 and a collar 96 secured to the rod 93, operates to move the rod 93 to the right. Thus, the lever 86 is moved about its pivot 91, by collars 98 on I rod H1 to the right, as

supported by the back rail I6, thereby allowing" the rod 93, into operative position beneath the arm of the bell crank, which is thus maintained inoperative, until a following movement of the pattern chain operatively positions another button under the lever 9|, at which time the abovedescribed procedure will be repeated.

High links I93 are spaced on the chain 11 to effect a selected sequence of operations ofv the idle course mechanism. When a high link engages a roller I94 of a lever I96, the latter, being pivotally mounted on a bracket I91 secured to the back rail I6, the lower portion of the lever I96 disengages a member I98, which releases a roller I99 for coaction with the periphery of a cam H2.

Simultaneously with the above described action, a roller H4 coacts with the inner face of the cam H2, whereupon a lever H6 moves a viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, through a member H8 secured to the rod H1, this action imparting a similar movement-to a fork H9, whereby the roller 14 is aligned with the cam 13. Further rotation of the cam shaft causes the high portion of the cam H2 to engage the roller I99 to raise the forepart of the member I98, and consequently, lowers the rear portion thereof, permitting a spring I22 to draw the lever I96 into engagement with the member Continued rotation of the cam shaft I9 moves a cam I23 into engagement with the roller H4, whereupon the roller 14 is again disposed in an inoperative position to thus render the idle course mechanism inoperative until another high link engages the roller I94.

A bracket I24, in which the member I98 is pivotally supported, is itself pivotally mounted in a bearing I26 of the bracket I91 which is vertical and horizontal movement of the rollercarrying lever I98. The connection between the fore end of the member I99 and the shifting rod H1 permits vertical movement of the member I98 relative to the roller shifting rod, whereas any lateral movement of the former will impart a corresponding movement to the idle course roller 14.

In a modified form of our invention, illustrated in Figs. and 6, amember or lever I21 is pivotally supported by a stud I28, a supporting bracket I29 of which is secured to the front rail I4, as by a bolt I32, the lever I21 is normally disposed in inoperative position aside the path of a set screw I33 carried by the free end of the needle lever 54a. Placing of the rest lever I21 in operative position is effected by suitable levers similar to the levers 9| and 92 carried by the chain mechanism C, Figs. 1 and 2, through an intermediate rod I34, slidably supported by brackets 94, which are secured to the front rail I 4, as illustrated in Fig. 6.

A compression spring I31, carried by the rod I34 between a collar I38 thereof and the bracket 94, normally positions the rod I34 to hold the lever I21 aside the path. of movement of the set screw I33, which positions are normally maintained, until a button on the pattern chain actuates the operating lever of the rod I34, by which action this rod will receive left hand movement to the position indicated in Fig. 6. This action imparts a clockwise movement to the lever I21, about the axis of the stud I28 through collars I39 carried by the shifting rod which coacts with the lower end of the lever I21 to move the latter to the position shown. This action engages the lever I21 to the free end of the needle lever 54a to latch the cam follower 56 in inoperative position preventing it from following the contour of cam 53, and to maintain the needles inactive in their lowermost position, substantially as illustrated in Fig. 5.

The movement of the rest lever I21 is effected only when the cam follower 56 engages the high portion of its cam 53, in which position the needles are positioned below the sinker structure. A pad or shoulder portion of the lever I21 engages a regulating shaft I42 to prevent bending of the lever from the pull of the spring 51 on the lever 5411. After a complete revolution of the cam shaft I9, an operative movement of the pattern chain advances the idle course button from engagement with its lever, thereby leaving the spring I31 free to move the rod I34 to the right, as viewed in Fig. 6, which action imparts-a counterclockwise movement to the lever I21, about the axis of the stud I28, to inoperative position, andagain permitting the spring 51 to act on the lever 54a to cause its roller 56 to follow the contour of its cam, whereupon, upward and downward movement of the needles is resumedo The embodiment of the invention above described, consequently maintains the needles inoperative in their lowermost cyclic position, during a complete revolution of the cam shaft, and thereby, precludes movement of the needle relative to the loops. By reason of the position maintained by the needles, although a yarn carrier may be moved across the knitting field during an idle course, the yarn thereof will not become entangled with the needles, since no contact of the yarn is made therewith.

As illustrated in Fig. 7, the sequence of operation of the idle-course mechanism isdetermined, in the form of the invention of Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, by the high link I93 of the auxiliary pattern unit chain 11. These high links of each pair control the idle-course operation or position of the needles, when a carrier is moving through an idle course to the right, and the other high link of each pair controls the idle course operation or position of the needles, when a carrier is moving through an idle course to the left.

The above sequence of operation of the needles during idle courses is similarly effected in connection with the modified form of the invention of Figs. 5 and 6, by'pairs of buttons on the main pattern chain, as indicated in broken lines to the right of the stocking blank in Fig. '7.

The stocking leg blank L extends from the top edge I46 of the folded welt portion W, to the course I" of the heel tabs T, T. A line I48 indicates the first course of loops of the welt W in an open state.

Prior to knitting the first course of loops I48 of the welt W, the control chain 11 is operated a distance corresponding to a distance relative to the blank from a line I48 to the course I48, and which controls the operation of the machine for two courses; i. e. during couliering from the right side of the knitting field to the left side, to press the loops of course I 41 of the heel tabs T from the needles, and back again. These movements are essential in order to reposition the various mechanisms of the machine.

The stocking is then knit to a course I52, where a pair of high links I03 of the control chain 11 cause the machine to operate for two idle courses, or a distance extending from course I52 to course I53 inclusive. The first link of this pair operates to eifect movement of the raveliing course carrier from right to left into an operative position, and the second link to eifect movement of the coulier mechanism back to the right side of the machine to continue knitting. During the first idle movement,,all the carriers are held stationary, except the ravelling course carrier, and, during the second idle movement, all the carriers remain idle.

Knitting is continued to a course I54, where the high links of another pair cause the machine to operate for two idle courses, or a distance extending from course I54 to a course I55. The first link of this pair controls the movement of the couliering mechanism from the'right to the left side of the knitting field, during which movement the carriers remain idle. The second high link effects movement of carrier 2 to the inside splicing line coincident with the repositioning of the coulier mechanism to the right side of the machine.

.Knitting is continued to a course I 56 where another pair of high links I03 cause the needles to remain inoperative through two successive idle courses, or for a distance extending from course ii 56 to course I51. The first link of the pair causes the needles to remain idle during a movement of the couliering mechanism from right to left, during which interval all the carriers remain idle;

and the second link causes the needles to remain in their lowermost inoperative position during a movement of the couliering mechanism from the left to the right side of the knitting sections, meanwhile the ravelling course carrier is removed from the knitting field.

Knitting is continued to a course I" where another pair of high links I03 again control the operation of the machine for two idle courses, the first high link controlling the operation of the machine a during movement of the coulier mechanism from right to left, while certain of the carriers are moved to their inoperative positions on the left side of the machine, and the second high link controlling operation of the machine during couliering from left to right, as the remaining carriers are moved to their inoperative positions on the right side of the machine.

The main pattern chain controls the operation of the machine in substantially the same manner as the control chain 11, and carries double button I58, as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 7,

to control the positioning of the needles during the insertion of idle courses.

The structure illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 embodies a single linkage including the link 85, between the auxiliary pattern unit E, at one end of the linkage, and the cam shaft I9 and the main pattern device C at the other end of the linkage. This linkage not only transmits the driving force of the cam shaft to the auxiliary pattern unit, but is also effective in accordance with the selection of the mechanism C to have this force applied only at preselected'intervals. This operation is an improvement over the operation wherein one member or linkage is under constant operation between the cam shaft and the control unit, and a separate linkage is provided for rendering the operating linkage periodically effective.

The improvements specifically shown and described, by which the above-mentioned results are obtained, can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as herein set forth and claimed.

We claim:

1. A knitting machine comprising knitting mechanism including a bank of needles, a cam shaft, a cam on said shaft, a follower for said cam, means for shogging the shaft, means for feeding yarn to the needle mechanism including a carrier for traversing the needles, means for moving the carrier through an idle course, and means for preventing the feeding of yarn to the needles during the travel of the carrier through said course, by shogging said follower relative to the cam independently of shogging the shaft, including an auxiliary pattern unit, a cam element on the shaft, linkage including a follower element for the cam element, said elements being mov- ,able relative to each other between operative and inoperative positions affecting the operation of said unit, and means including a main pattern device for controlling said movement.

2. A knitting machine comprising knitting mechanism including a bank of needles, a cam shaft, a cam on said shaft, a follower for said cam, means for shogging the shaft, means for feeding yarn to the needle mechanism including a carrier for traversing the needles, means for moving the carrier through an idle course, and means traversing the needles, means for moving the carrier through an idle course, and means for preventing the feeding of yarn to the needles during the travel of the carrier through the idle course including a cam shaft, means including an auxiliary cam on the shaft and an auxiliary-cam follower, the cam and the follower being movable relative to each other between operative and inoperative positions, an auxiliary pattern unit for yarn to said mechanism including a carrier for controlling said relative movement, a main cam on the shaft, ,linkage including a main-cam follower for effecting the operation of the auxiliary pattern unit, and means including a main patthe travel of the carrier through the idle course tern device for controlling the operation of said linkage.

4. A knitting machine comprising knitting mechanism including needles, means for feeding yarn to said mechanism including a carrier for traversing the needles, means for moving the carrier through an idle course, and means for preventing the feeding of yarn to the needles during including a cam shaft, means including a secondary cam on the shaft and a secondary-cam follower, means including a tertiary cam on the shaft and a tertiary-cam follower for controlling the operation of the secondary cam and its follower, an auxiliary pattern unit for controlling the tertiary cam and its follower, a primary cam on the shaft, and linkage including a primarycam follower for affecting the operation of the auxiliary unit.

5. A knitting machine comprising knitting mechanism including needles, means for feeding yarn to said mechanism including a carrier for traversing the needles, means for moving the carrier through an idle course, and means for preventing the feeding of yarn to the needles during the travel of the carrier through the'idle course including a cam shaft, means including a secondary cam on the shaft and a secondarycam follower, means including a tertiary cam on the shaft and a tertiary-cam follower for holding the secondary-cam follower at a high point of the secondary cam and releasing it to follow the secondary cam, face-cam means for relatively shifting said tertiary cam and its follower axially between operative and inoperative positions for holding and releasing the secondary cam follower, cam means on the shaft for lifting the face cam follower out of range of the face-cam means and lowering the face-cam follower into said range, linkage between the main cam and the auxiliary control unit for controlling the lifting and lowering of the face-cam follower, and means including a main pattern device for controlling actuation of the auxiliary pattern unit by the main cam.

6. In a knitting machine, the combination with a cam shaft, a cam on the shaft, a cam follower, a knitting mechanism including a bank of needles,

. a yarn carrier for traversing the needles, a pattern device, and means for moving the carrier through an idle course, of means for preventing the feeding of yarn to the needles during the travel of the carrier through the idle course comprising a lever pivoted about an axis parallel to the cam shaft for supporting the follower, and having a latch portion, and a lever controlled by the pattern device for movement about an axis at right angles to said first axis and having a latch portion for cooperation with the latch portion of the follower-supporting lever to hold the follower at a high point of the cam and to release the follower to follow the contour of the cam.

7. In a knitting machine, the combination with a frame including a front beam, a cam shaft, a cam on the shaft, a cam follower, a knitting mechanism including a bank of needles, a yarn carrier for traversing the needles, a pattern device, and means for moving the carrier through an idle course, of means for preventing the feeding of yarn to the needles during thetravel of the carrier through the idle course comprising a lever pivoted about an axis parallel to the cam shaft for supporting the follower and having a latch portion, and a lever mounted on the front beam for movement by the pattern device about an axis at right angles to said first axis and having a latch portion for cooperation with the latch portion of the follower-supporting lever to hold the follower at a high point of the cam and to release the follower to follow the contour of the cam.

8. In a knitting machine, the combination with a cam shaft. a cam on the shaft, a cam follower. a knitting mechanism including needles and a needle bar, a yam carrier for traversing the needles, a pattern device having thereon variably spaced contact points, and means for moving the carrier through an idle course, of meansfor preventing the feeding of yarn to the'needles during the travel of the carrier through the idle course comprising meansincluding a lever connecting the follower to the needle bar, and a lever controlled by the pattern device for movement between positions in one of which it holds said first lever to maintain the needles in lowered position during said idle course carrier travel, and in the other position of which it releases said first lever for operation by the cam.

9. In a full fashioned knitting machine, the combination with a frame including a front beam, a cam shaft, a cam on the shaft, a cam follower, a knitting mechanism including needles and a needle bar, a yarn carrier for traversing the needles, a pattern device, and means for moving the carrier through an idle course, of means for preventing the feeding of yarn to the needles during the travel of the carrier through the idle course comprising linkage connecting the follower to the needle bar, and a lever pivotally mounted on the front beam and controlled by the pattern device for holding said linkage to maintain the needle bar in lowered position during the travel of the carrier through the idle course, and for releasing the linkage to be operated by the cam.

, 10. In a multi-section straight knitting machine, a pattern chain and a longitudinally shiftable rod extending along the machine, a .cam shaft, a cam on the shaft, a follower for the cam, a needle bank, means including a carrier for feeding yarn to the needles, means for effecting idle-course movement of the carrier, and means for holding the needles below the course-laying position during movement of the carrier through an idle course comprising linkage between the follower and the needles for effecting movement or the needles between upper and lower positions, means including a portion for controlling the operative relation of the follower to the cam, a lever for holding and releasing the control portion, and mechanism operating between the pattern chain and the shiftable rod for actuating the rod to control the lever.

11. In a multi-section straight knitting machine, a frame, a pattern device, a cam shaft, a cam on the shaft, a follower for the cam, a needle hank, means including a carrier for feeding yarn to the needles, means for effecting idlecourse movement of the carrier, and means for holding the needles below the course-laying position during movement of the carrier through an idle course comprising linkage between the follower and the needles for effecting movement of the needles between upper and lower pos 'ons, means including a portion for controllin the operative relation of the follower to the cam, a

double-arm leverv pivotally mounted on the frame between the lever arms one of which is for holding and releasing the control portion, and mechanism operating between the pattern device and the other arm of the double-arm lever for controlling the lever.

12. A knitting machine comprising knitting mechanism including a bank of needles, 8, cam

shaft, a cam on the cam shaft, a follower for the cam, means for shogging the shaft, means for feeding yarn to the needle mechanism including a carrier for traversing the needles, means for moving the carrier through an idle course, and means for preventing the feeding of yarn to the needles during the travel of the carrier through said course, by shagging said follower relative to the cam independently of shogging the shaft.

13. In a knitting machine, the combination with a cam shaft, a cam on the shaft, a cam follower, a knitting mechanism and a needle bar, a yarn carrier for traversing the needles, a main pattern device, an auxiliary pattern device, and

means for moving the carrier through an idle course, of means for preventing the feeding of yarn to the needles during the travel of the carrier through the idle course comprising means including a lever connecting the follower to the needle bar, means controlled by said auxiliary pattern device including an element for movement between positions in one of which it holds said lever to maintain the needles in lowered position during said idle course carrier travel and in the other position of which it releases said lever for operation by the cam, and a lever controlled by said main pattern device for movement between positions in one of which it maintains said auxiliary pattern device inactive and in the other position of which it establishes a connection between the auxiliary pattern device and the cam shaft for operation of the auxiliary pattern device by the cam shaft.

14. In a straight knitting machine, a needle bar, a cam shaft, means for moving the needle bar including a cam on the camshaft and a follower for said cam, a main pattern mechanism, means for shogging the camshaft, an auxiliary pattern mechanism, connections from said auxiliary pattern mechanism to said follower for shogging said follower with reference to its cam independently of the shogging of the camshaft, means for driving the auxiliary pattern mechanism including a cam on the camshaft and a follower therefor, and means operated by said main pattern mechanism for controlling the drive for said auxiliary pattern mechanism.

15. In a straight knittmg machine, a needle bar, a camshaft, means for shogging the cam shaft, means for moving the needle bar including a cam on the camshaft and a follower for said cam, a main pattern mechanism, means for moving the needle bar for knitting, and means for producing an idle course motion of the needles including, in addition to said camshaft and main pattern mechanism, an auxiliary pattern mechanism, connections from said auxiliary pattern mechanism to said follower for shogging said follower with reference to its cam inde= pendently of the shogging of the camshaft, means for driving the auxiliary pattern mechanism including a cam on the camshaft and a follower therefor, and means operated by said main pattern mechanism for controlling the drive for said auxiliary pattern mechanism.

MELCHIOR ZWICKY. RUDOLPH ANKE. 

